Cubs Fans, That Viral MLB Instagram Post Just Dropped a Gem on Our Guy PCA – And It’s Pure NL Central Gold
If you’re a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan scrolling Instagram this week, you probably double-tapped that MLB post faster than Pete Crow-Armstrong steals second. The caption hits like a line drive:
“@PeteCrowArmstrong and @MasynWinn once threw a combined no-hitter… And @PaulSkenes was the catcher ”
Cue the baby pics, the lanky kid behind the plate, and every comment section exploding with “they’re all in the NL Central?!” Yeah, Cubs nation, this isn’t just cool trivia. It’s a time capsule reminder that our center-field phenom, Pete Crow-Armstrong, has been building legend status since he was 12.
Flash back more than a decade to a Team USA 12U tournament in Mazatlán, Mexico. Young PCA and future Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn took the mound in relief stints, combining to throw a no-hitter. Behind the plate? A tall, string-bean kid named Paul Skenes – yes, that Pirates ace who now throws 100 mph like it’s nothing. PCA himself recounted the memory before a Wrigley series against Pittsburgh:
“We threw at least one combined no-hitter… Masyn Winn and I were a part of one. I just remember Paul being like this lanky dude behind the plate.”
The U.S. squad lost to Nicaragua that trip, but the no-hitter moment stuck. These three kids, representing their country in red, white, and blue, had no clue they’d grow up to patrol the same division, trading haymakers at Wrigley, Busch, and PNC Park. Winn’s now a Gold Glove wizard at short for St. Louis. Skenes is the Cy Young favorite every year in Pittsburgh. And our PCA? He’s the dynamic engine making Cubs baseball fun again.
Think about it, North Side faithful. The kid who once pitched in international youth ball is now the guy Cubs fans chant for every time he tracks down a gapper or turns a routine fly into highlight-reel defense. In 2025, PCA slashed .247/.287/.481 with 31 homers, 95 RBIs, 35 steals, and that Gold Glove glove work that makes every out feel like art. He’s the rare five-tool threat who plays the game with joy – the same joy you see in those old Team USA photos where he’s just a kid throwing strikes.
What makes this story Cubs-perfect is the rivalry layer. Every time PCA robs Winn of a hit or stares down Skenes from the box, we get to smile knowing they once shared a dugout and a dream. It’s baseball poetry: three future stars on one field in Mexico, now battling for Central supremacy. Cubs fans can hate the Cardinals and Pirates all day (we do), but we love knowing our guy was there first – pitching, not just patrolling center.
This blast from the past isn’t random nostalgia. It’s proof PCA’s journey was always special. From Harvard-Westlake High to the Mets draft, the Cubs trade, and now Wrigley’s everyday center fielder, he’s built for Chicago. He talks about loving the city, the fans, and the ivy. And with the Cubs pushing for October again, that early no-hitter fire still burns.
Next time you see PCA racing from first to third or robbing a homer, remember the lanky catcher who framed his pitches in Mexico. The kid who became our star. That’s Cubs baseball, baby – full circle, full throttle, and fully ours.